Destinus secures additional EUR 14 million from the Spanish Government

The Spanish government invests heavily in developing hydrogen propulsion as part of its economic resilience and transformation plan through strategic projects funded by the European Commission’s Next Generation funds. In December 2022, under the Ministry of Ecological Transition, the Spanish Institute for Energy Diversification selected Destinus for a new 14.7-million-euro project to demonstrate the feasibility of supersonic flight with hydrogen. It is noteworthy that while the intensity of the aid varies from company to company, Destinus received the highest aid due to its SME start-up character.

The participation in these two programs enables Destinus to continue the work toward becoming a major player in the hydrogen propulsion industry. The company is currently testing a gaseous hydrogen post-combustion jet engine (afterburner) while working to advance other engine technologies using cryogenic fuels such as liquid hydrogen. These technologies will undergo extensive ground testing over the coming year and be integrated onboard the next supersonic prototype, Destinus-3, in 2024.

Destinus develops a hybrid between an airplane and a rocket. It will take off and land horizontally from airports using a hydrogen-fed airbreathing jet engine integrating seamlessly with other planes when it passes controlled airspace. Once a certain altitude and speed are reached, the hyperplane will switch to a cryogenic hydrogen rocket engine that will accelerate the aircraft to hypersonic velocity. Destinus is headquartered at Aeropole Payerne and has offices in several European countries. The companies is investing in Spain and has currently 10 job vacancies in Madrid according to its LinkedIn profile.

(Press release / SK)